


Give Me One Reason

by konimello



Series: Swallow Your Pride [1]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Claude is not to be underestimated, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-28
Updated: 2019-08-28
Packaged: 2020-09-28 15:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20428109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/konimello/pseuds/konimello
Summary: It had been years since they last spoke - Felix felt no need to change that.Unfortunately, Claude and Sylvain had other plans for him.





	Give Me One Reason

As always, it was Sylvain’s fault. Would Felix ever go to a club of his own volition? Of course not. Would he willingly socialise with drunk people? As if. Yet here he found himself, stuck in the corner of a booth, as Sylvain hit on every woman walking past.

“Why. Are we here.” He grits his teeth. It’s too loud, the lights flash too much, the table is sticky. He hates it. And for what, to give Sylvain excuse to flirt since he was too embarrassed to go out on his own? This was not worth it. At. All.

Sylvain merely waved him off, head stuck outside of the booth like he was looking for something. “To have fun!”

“I’m not having fun.”

“Uh huh, well you will be soon, buddy.”

Great. Did Sylvain seriously think making him talk to some painted woman would lift his mood? He didn’t -

“Hey! Over here!” Sylvain shouted. Felix cringed inwardly. Here they fucking go. What now? Some blonde with large blue eyes, fake eyelashes and and incredibly large bosoms?

“Well, hey there!”

Though it was Claude who spoke, Felix paid no attention to him. It seemed he was right about there being a blond, but it wasn’t quite what he expected.

“Dimitri,” he hissed under his breath. Of all the people, of all the places - it had been years, the entirety of high school, as a matter of fact. When Dimitri moved out to the Capital, Felix hadn’t expect to bump into him ever again, especially not somewhere like here.

It was probably planned, wasn’t it? He was going to kill Sylvain.

“Guys! So crazy to see you here!”

Sylvain fooled no one.

Dimitri looked somewhat sheepish as he slipped into the booth across from Felix, as Claude sat beside him and across from Sylvain.

“Riiight? So how are we all doing?” Claude winked at Felix, and he grimaced in return.

“Awful. I’m here.”

Sylvain laughed, loud in his ear despite the music overhead, and threw an arm around Felix. “He’s great! I’m great! What about you guys?”

Dimitri shrugged, but offered a small smile anyway. “Could be worse.”

Some emotion passed over Claude’s face at that, but it was so fast that Felix can’t even tell what it is.

“You look terrible,” Felix offered before anyone else could chip in. The long, unkempt hair, the huge bags under his eyes - whoever this was, it wasn’t the Dimitri he knew.

He could feel Sylvain stiffen beside him, and watched Claude’s eyebrow raise. He waited for the reprimand from either of them, but Dimitri spoke first.

“You’re not the first person to tell me that.” He shrugged, unperturbed which only annoyed Felix more. He was almost curious… but he’d burned that bridge years ago. He didn’t care what Dimitri was doing now.

“So, we’re all here to have a good time,” Claude smiles. Felix can hear the warning in his tone. “If that means a few more drinks, I’ll take care of it. Actually, shots, anyone?”

“Please,” Sylvain smiled. He’s panicking. Felix almost laughed.

On the one hand, he wanted to tell everyone he won’t be indulging in their merriment just to spite them. On the other, he almost wanted to get drunk enough to forget who Dimitri is.

There was something inside him trying so hard to push away his old friend again, after finally beginning to forget after all of these years.

He didn’t want to explore the reason why.

Sylvain and Dimitri made small talk as they waited for Claude’s return from the bar; in another situation, maybe Sylvain would be asking what happened in the last few years as well, but a club probably wasn’t the best place to unpack all of that. Plus, Sylvain probably didn’t want to put a downer on his night.

Vodka, first. Felix cringed as the shot goes down. Claude went crazy with the tequila, Sylvain egging him on. He didn’t watch for Dimitri’s reaction, but he noticed small eye roll anyway.

An arm was thrown around him as Sylvain pulled him in, and Felix grimaced. He felt like he was being laughed at, but he didn’t listen to enough of the conversation to know. He elbowed Sylvain to let him go, and wondered if there was an easy way to escape.

Maybe he should just excuse himself to the bathroom, and leave through the window. Though the club was big enough he could hide among the sweaty, handsy dancers and make his way through the front door without much notice.

Sylvain would definitely kill him. Or at least give him those huge, sad, totally not cute and effective puppy dog eyes. He didn’t want to give Sylvain the satisfaction of knowing that they worked, again.

He stayed, accepting another shot as they nattered on. Claude lead the conversation, Sylvain joined in and every now and then Dimitri chipped in. Felix adamantly stayed out of it.

The conversation lulled, the shots finished, and before he knew it there was a hand around his wrist and Sylvain lead him up, out of the booth. He squirmed to escape, but there was only so much room. Dimitri at least seemed a little more willing as he followed Claude, and they slipped into an opening on the dance floor.

It just felt awkward. He didn’t dance. He didn’t even like this kind of music. Immediately, he felt a hand on his hip and Sylvain’s laugh in his ear. Awful. Felix throws an elbow back, felt it connect with something solid and a heard a strangled yelp from the redhead behind him. It was the first time tonight that Felix had let a smile slip.

Across from them, he saw Claude shaking his head, but he was already gathering his own little following around him - strangers behind him and in front of him, like he was some kind of people magnet.

Disgusting.

Dimitri was the only other person who looked awkward.

*

“You’re not happy I’m here,” Dimitri stated.

Felix only shrugged as he accepts his drink from the bartender. “I don’t know you.”

This earned him a furrowed brow, and Dimitri opened his mouth to talk before he was interrupted by the bartender asking his drink.

Even though everything here tasted awful, Felix began to drink.

“I’m... Things have...” He sighed.

“I don’t want to know.” Felix kept his eyes trained on his drink.

“Hm.”

The silence between them was still less awkward than sitting with their two friends attempting to force them into conversation.

“You still hang out with that guy?”

Dimitri looked confused for a second. “Claude? Of course.”

“Of course,” Felix scoffed.

“You always had an issue with him, didn’t you?” Dimitri raised an eyebrow. “I remember when I first met him at high school. You were adamant he couldn’t be trusted.”

“You didn’t even know him,” Felix grit his teeth. Everything was fine, nice and easy before high school. “Yet off you went, with your library dates and all.”

Dimitri’s laugh was unexpected, and not as light as he was used to. A lot really had changed. “We had classes together, Felix. Projects that we had to work on. Of course we had to spend time together. We still hung out on weekends, didn’t we? I never understood why you were so jealous.”

Felix bristled at the insult. “I wasn’t jealous. I was annoyed.”

“So I just wasn’t allowed any friends other than you three?” He raised an eyebrow. “I never thought you were so possessive, Felix.”

“I’m not.” His blood was beginning to boil. Of course Dimitri wouldn’t understand. He was the one who always had someone. By high school, Sylvain had started spending his time on dates when he wasn’t taking supplementary classes, Ingrid began horse riding and tending to horses at the local stable. Glenn was preparing for college and never home - with just his father in the house and everyone else busy, at least Dimitri would be there, right?

Except Dimitri had to study with Claude, and then Claude would bring him to these parties that the Helsvrig girl threw. Maybe Dimitri had invited him too, but why would Felix want to go to a party? 

Kendo training and studying alone it was. At least it was something to focus on with hardly any distractions - that’s what he always told himself anyway, as his best friend began slipping away.

“You left me.” His stomach churned as he said this, and the look on his old friend’s face was... hurt? Sad? What would it matter anyway - the past was the past. It almost looked like Dimitri was going to say something, before Felix continued.

“I’m going to find Sylvain.”

-

Felix sat at the edge of the booth they’d vacated previously, just about in view of Sylvain. It was much too tempting to just go home, but he had to make sure the redhead didn’t get himself in trouble. He spent a little time bitching about tonight in his texts to Ingrid, but she didn’t reply to he resorted to mindless phone games, willing for the night to be over. The sooner he could get every from everyone, the better, but no. Here he was being a great friend just so that his so called best friend could stay at his place and split the cost of a taxi.

He wasn’t sure exactly when he lost sight of Sylvain; it was only when he received the text ‘ha guess im no,t staying over tonight lmao’ that he knew his night had been entirely wasted. He should have just left as soon as they found everyone else. Felix wondered for a second if it was worth looking for Sylvain to make sure he wasn’t making some bad decision, but he was an adult. Any consequences would be his own damn fault. 

Heading to the front door, his eyes scanned to floor again in case the others were still there, but no one was to be seen. He shrugged, finished his drink and left it on some abandoned table close to the door.

The night air was freezing, and he regretted not bringing a jacket. Still, it felt sobering - not that he’d really drank that much in the end, and he pulled his phone out to dial the number for a taxi.

“Felix.”

The sudden voice in his ear nearly made him drop his phone. He’d kill someone if he had to buy a new one again so soon. 

“What do you /want,” he muttered, pocketing it instead. “I was leaving.”

Dimitri leaned into view. His cheeks were rosy, he reeked even more of vodka and his hair was messier, if possible, then when he first arrived.

“Have you seen him?”

“Him who?” Felix snapped. “I don’t have time for this.”

“Claude.“

He grit his teeth. “No, I haven't seen Claude. Nor do I want to. Would have thought you’d be at his side all night.”

There was a small sigh from beside, then a hiccup.

He was going to kill Sylvain for ever making him come here.

“I lost him. He was going to take me to his place.”

“I don’t want to know about your - “

“No!” Dimitri cut him off. “I’m staying there.”

“So?” Felix shrugged. “It’s not my issue. Find Claude.”

“I can’t.”

“Ring him.”

“I did.”

Felix sighed, long and agitated. “I’m not helping you look. I want to go home.”

“So do I,” Dimitri replied. “He, I - I have nowhere else. Right now. I’m not living anywhere.”

So, if Claude disappears, Dimitri was totally fucked. What a great fucking friend. He didn’t know Claude well, he didn’t know what arrangements they may had made or plans they had when sober, but right now, he was not a fan. 

“You’re - “ Felix huffs. There was no other choice, was there. “I’m ringing a taxi.”

Dimitri gave him a questioning look which was ignored as Felix gave his location and the address he wanted. Pocketing his phone again, he glared at Dimitri.

“If you throw up, I’ll kill you.”

-

The taxi ride was awkward. He didn’t want to talk, but at least Dimitri knew that or wasn’t in a fit state to talk anyway.

He paid, they exited, then squeezed into the elevator to Felix’s apartment. The alcohol smell was awful, and Felix tried to hold his breath. Maybe if he’d drank more himself this would be easier to deal with. He didn’t want to spend time with this guy, let alone let him into his flat and have him stay over. He made a mental note to kick Sylvain next time he saw him. If he hadn’t gone off with who knows what floozy, then there’d be no room for Dimitri to stay over and it would no longer be Felix’s issue. 

Apparently people just liked betraying him.

He gestured towards the sofa bed, made up with cushions and blankets already.

“Yours,” he said through gritted teeth. “Bathroom to the left. Don’t disturb me.” He all but marched into his bedroom, slamming the door as he did. Maybe it was a little childish, but he didn’t care.

It was 3am now, and he knew there was no chance that Ingrid would be awake, but he sent another text to update her, calling Sylvain a few choice words in his message.

Felix all but threw his phone to the side as he began to change into his pyjamas, and he listened out for any noise as he turned the light off, settling into bed. Maybe he’d wake up and this would all be a dream. As soon as he turned over, he heard a hacking cough from the living room, and his jaw set. Nope, definitely not a dream.

Fucking Sylvain.

*

He didn’t want to get up. If he did, he’d see him. Though, the sooner he did, the sooner he could kick Dimitri out, but that all depended on if he could get into contact with Claude. Fucker has a lot to answer for. He huffed, and got dressed in joggers and a sweater. Today had been written off as soon as Sylvain asked to stay over; may as well be comfortable and get a little uni work done.

Slipping out of the room, he noticed the light was still off, and there was still a human shaped mess on the sofa. He pulled a face before stepping into the bathroom.

The shape seemed to be sitting up as he returned, and now was a good a time as any to turn the light on. Dimitri winced, and Felix found some satisfaction in his discomfort.

“Morning.” His voice was nice and loud.

Dimitri winced again. “Felix?”

“I’m making coffee.”

It was a statement but also an offer; if Dimitri didn’t realise the latter then it was his own fault.

“Do you have any - “ he coughed, “-water?”

Felix rolled his eyes. “Of course I have water. What am I, a caveman? Idiot.”

“Are you just saying you have some, or are you actually going to give me some?”

He rolled his eyes, but his chest makes some strange movement as he realised Dimitri still knew him, or at least his habits. Dimitri would find it irritating when Felix answered something but didn’t answer something, and he always took great joy in doing it on purpose. 

But that was back then, wasn’t it.

He shoved a glass in front of Dimitri, with a few paracetamol tablets dropped next to it. It was only what he’d do for Sylvain, no more.

He brought his coffee to the sofa, picking up his laptop as he went. Maybe if Dimitri saw that he was trying to work it would make him leave faster. Hopefully.  
He sat just at the edge of the sofa, where Dimitri’s feet were before he sat up.

“Thanks.” His voice was quiet, hoarse almost. Served him right for all that he drank.

Felix said nothing, taking a sip of his coffee before opening up the assignment he was working on. It was quiet, save for his typing. He hoped Dimitri felt awkward.

Dimitri took his tablets, finished his water, and sat there.

“Did you call Claude yet?” He was getting impatient.

“No.”

Felix felt his eyebrow twitch. “Well, call him.”

“He won’t be awake yet.”

“Just try it,” he all but growled.

Dimitri sighed. He pressed something on his phone, holding it up to his ear a minute later. 

Felix didn’t realise he’d been holding his breath until he finally exhaled when Dimitri lowered the phone again.

“No answer,” Dimitri said simply.

“I’m not going to entertain you all day. I have things to do. I’m busy.”

“I know.”

At this point, Felix wasn’t even working. He was just glaring at his screen. This was so unfair.

“Do you mind if I get a shower?”

It was a reasonable request, but it still made his blood boil further. “Fine. If you need to. Towels are in the cabinet under the sink. Don’t use all of the hot water.”

He didn’t relax until Dimitri was gone, locked in the bathroom. He finished off the coffee, tempted by another one to keep his mouth occupied by anything but talking.

Now was a good time, he decided, to let Sylvain know what he’d done.

It didn’t seem like he was going to answer at first, but after the sixth ring he did, finally..

“H-hey, Felix, buddy!” He could hear the nervousness. Sylvain knew exactly what was coming.

“You left me with him.”

There was a pause.

“Well. You know. It’s been a long time since you saw each other, gotta have some time to catch up, right? Haha...”

“You did it on purpose.” It wasn’t a question. Felix’s phone case clicked out of place as his grip tightened over it.

“Hey, look, it’s not like... okay, it is like that. But you wouldn’t talk to him otherwise! Claude says he was all looking forward to seeing you again and y’know, you saw him and you were just... like that.”

“Was Claude involved in this too?”

He hears a laugh on the other side of the phone. One that didn’t belong to Sylvain.

“Take good care of him!” 

They hung up, and he tried to ring back. No answer. He was going to kill both of them.

*

At some point after Dimitri returned, hair sopping wet as if he didn’t even know how to towel himself down and clothes still smelling vaguely of vodka, they put the TV on. It was some boring documentary that Felix had no will to watch. He still hadn’t written any more of his assignment.

“I’ll pay for your taxi.”

“I don’t have keys. I don’t know if Claude’s home, wouldn’t be able to get in...”

He most certainly wasn’t home.

From: Felix  
To: Sylvain  
10:43am  
Message me as soon as Claude goes the fuck home. Dick.

From Sylvain  
To: Felix  
11:17am  
lmao

“This your own place?” Dimitri mumbled, pulling Felix out of his reverie.

“Do you see another bedroom?” He huffs. “I rent it alone. I don’t like people taking up space when I have work to do.” He hoped he’d made his point.

“That’s not a surprise.” Dimitri almost laughed. “You’ve not changed at all. Apart from even unfriendlier, maybe.”

Felix grit his teeth.  
“We’re not friends. I have no reason to be friendly.”

The sofa dips slightly as Dimitri slid closer. Felix wanted nothing more than to push him back away.

“We were friends,” he offered.

“A long time ago.”

There was a sigh, and Dimitri folded his hands in his lap. “We were friends, and then you stopped talking to me. Will you tell me what I did to make you push me away so much?”

Felix’s head snapped around to face him, and he couldn’t stop the scowl on his face. “We were friends, and then you got new friends. I thought that was obvious. How stupid do you have to be not to notice that?”

“Yes, I met some more people. But I still spent time with you, Felix. I wouldn’t just leave you like that. I still invited you out with us - “

“I didn’t want to hang out with them.”

Dimitri looked a little put out. “They’re good people.”

“I don’t care.” They still took you away from me.

“It was Claude’s suggestion that we meet up again, last night.”

“I don’t care.”

He sighed again, sitting back. “I missed you. For some reason.”

I missed you too.

“I was fine on my own.”

Dimitri gave a half smile as he raised an eyebrow. “I’m sure you were. Seems you still spend a lot of time with Sylvain, though. I’m glad.”

Felix couldn’t help but roll his eyes at that one. “It’s hardly my own choice. He’s hard to get rid of.”

“Of course. You went to the same high school, didn’t you?”

“And Ingrid.”

Dimitri turned away again. “I sometimes wonder how different it would have been if I stayed.”

“Too late. You made that choice.”

“You stopped talking to me entirely by the time we had to choose. And they had more extracurriculars I wanted, in the capital.”

“Great for you.”

He can feel Dimitri deflating next to him.

“Not sure I’d say that.”

This was the first point of the conversation that piqued his interest. “Why?”

“It’s... a lot happened.”

“It’s been four years, of course a lot’s happened,” Felix scoffed. “Does this have anything to do with why you look like an ownerless mutt?”

That earned him a little laugh. “I suppose so. Claude was actually only there in first year; he had to transfer to somewhere else after that. We still saw each other occasionally, but it was mostly El and I after that.”

Felix turns his nose up at the nickname.

“It was a little quieter, but we were getting by... and we got into an argument. A very large one, actually. We stopped speaking. I had trouble focusing on my grades after that. Not long after, my uncle took ill, and he... passed.”

“...Oh.”

“I ended up staying with a friend - an older student with a spare room. They travelled a lot, and I’ll admit, I didn’t entirely take care of myself during that time. I considered reaching out to anyone I used to know but it was... hard. I ended up dropping out before my final year ended.”

He takes a second to digest everything.

“...What then?”

Dimitri smiled at him. “I looked for work but it was hard without a diploma... I didn’t have much for a while - and then Claude came back. He helped me get a job and now I’m staying at his until I get enough money together for a deposit for my own place.” He shrugged. “It got better.”

He doesn’t really blame Dimitri for wanting to see his old friends, now.

“Lucky.” He returns his gaze to the laptop screen in front of him. What else can he say? He wasn’t sorry for cutting ties; the jealousy and betrayal he felt when Dimitri met his new friends would never have gone away. If he’d known what happened later, maybe he would have returned to him, but what use was that train of thought now?

“I am very lucky, yes. Even more so, being able to see you again,” Dimitri smiled. It’s not the same smile that is used to be, but maybe that makes it easier. He forgot about the Dimitri he used to know... but this was a different Dimitri.

Dimitri’s phone blared out next to them, making both jump. He scrambled to answer it, and his shoulders dropped a little after the person on the other end said their bit.

“Claude’s home,” he said once the call ended. “I should go.”

“Right.” Felix pursed his lips.

“I’ll see you again soon?”

“Mm.” 

“Thanks for letting me talk.” Dimitri gave him a look, almost fond, and headed to the door. 

“Elevator’s on the left,” Felix supplied, before he left.  
It was quiet - too quiet, even with the TV on, when he left. Felix dropped his head against the sofa, and closed his eyes.

Dimitri was back. He knew where Felix lived. They have very meddlesome friends who insisted on making them talk.

There was no escaping him anymore, was there?


End file.
